Qorikancha - Temple of the Sun in Cuzco

The Qorikancha, or The Temple of the Sun in Cuzco, was the most important temple in the Inca Empire.  When the Spanish conquored Cuzco, the Temple of the Sun was destroyed and on top of it built the Convento de Santo Domingo Del Cusco.  It is said that wherever one finds a Catholic church or cathedral in South America, the foundation is an Inca temple.

The beautifully carved stones at the base of the Convento De Santo Domingo, is the part of the Qorikancha built by the Inca.  The Convento built ontop of the Sun Temple.

Inca walls and doorway of the Temple of the Sun.  The Inca never knew of arches, so the doorways had a huge straight rock.  The walls all were inclined however.  The inclination of the walls, along with the sand base under the walls, served as barriors against earthquakes.  The Inca structures have withstood many many major earthquakes and have not fallen.  Only when the Spanish arrived, did they destroy most of the Inca archetecture....... using gun powder.

The Inca studied the stars and constelations.  This rock formation inside what remains of the Temple of the Sun, was a window to observe Venus.

Inca wall leading to the Temple of the Rainbow.

Inside the Temple of the Rainbow..... the smallest Inca stone carving.

Many supersitious believes around the Rainbow existed in the Inca time.  If a pregnant woman looked at a rainbow, her child would be born with some form of mental disability.  The large stone in the middle points, with precise accuracy to the four cardenal points on the compus.

Part of a remaining wall from the Temple of the Sun ..... notice the slant of the wall.